Many NFL rules change with time, especially the overtime rules. In addition to our free betting tips, you can learn and use these rule changes to make the most successful bets. Prepare for this season and understand the current overtime rules in the NFL.

Overtime Rules Change for Regular and Post-Season Games

One of the reasons why the NFL’s overtime rules can be difficult to follow is because they change for regular and post-season games. The regular season games have completely different rules, so before you watch a game, notice if it takes place during or after the regular season. This determination will help you understand which set of rules apply to the game.

Regular Season Overtime Rules

The regular season overtime rules in the NFL are pretty easy to understand and memorize. At the end of regulation time, the ref will toss a coin to decide which team will possess the ball when the game resumes. The team captain of the visiting team will call heads or tails. Another rule is that only one 10-minute time period will follow a 3-minute intermission, and both teams must have the opportunity to possess the ball. In a regular season game, each team receives two time-outs, and the replay officials, not the coaches, initiate all instant replay reviews. And finally, if the score is tied at the end of overtime, then the game ends as a tie.

Post-Season Overtime Rules

Unlike regular season games, post-season games cannot end in a tie. So, after an overtime period ends, a coin toss will determine which team receives the ball, and the game continues until one team wins. Each team has the opportunity to possess the ball in overtime, and each team gets three time-outs in a half. Between each overtime period, there is a 2-minute intermission, but there is no halftime intermission after the second period.